Scholarship & Financial Assistance

Learn about the scholarship and financial assistance programs available through The Mountaineers.

The Mountaineers strives to serve everyone, regardless of ability to pay. We are committed to providing access to outdoor recreation, education and conservation opportunities for all members and youth in the communities we serve.

The map fund

The Mountaineers Access Program (MAP) is a scholarship fund that subsidizes individuals groups who otherwise would not be able to afford Mountaineers programs.

MAP is made possible by generous contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, including the REI Foundation, Treeline Foundation and Bradley Foundation. We count on these donations from our members and partners to fulfill this very important part of our mission.

Membership assistance

Membership dues with The Mountaineers support our outdoor education and conservation efforts. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, 100% of membership dues are tax-deductible as a nonprofit contribution and may be matched by your employer's workplace giving program. We are committed to serving everyone in our community regardless of ability to pay, and thus offer financial assistance for members with special circumstances.

Click on this link to apply for financial assistance for an individual or family membership. Applications may take up to 2 weeks to process.

If you are planning on taking courses in addition to membership where you’ll also require financial assistance please review the section below.

individual scholarships for courses

The Mountaineers is committed to making our courses accessible to everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Our courses are priced to cover our costs, but we know that costs add up quickly, especially when students also need to purchase gear. We encourage students to apply for our scholarship program, which is funded by generous donors to make courses more accessible. Applications may take up to 2 weeks to process. Please read the course description as well as click the Required Equipment tab to see what additional costs may be associated with the course. If you have any questions on gear, contact the course leader who is listed on the left side of the course page.

Click on this link to apply for scholarship for an individual to participate in a Mountaineers course. Applications may take up to 2 weeks to process.

Guidelines

Please read the following guidelines, which are in place so that we can serve as many people as possible with the funds we receive from our generous donors.

Eligibility - Our scholarships are granted on a needs basis, and all are welcome to apply. We take into consideration a variety of factors, including income, student status, and family circumstances.

30% to 70% - The Mountaineers typically awards scholarships of 30-70% of the program cost, based on need. In certain cases, we may be able to provide more than 70%, but this is rare. In order for us to serve as many people as possible, we ask applicants to ask for only what they need in order to participate.

Maximum 4 Courses - In order to serve as many people as possible, we award financial assistance for individuals to take a maximum of four courses or programs per year.

Advanced and Specialty Courses &Trips - Our advanced training and specialty courses are eligible for a maximum of 25% scholarship. This allows us to help skilled outdoor enthusiasts continue to grow, and at the same time allows us to focus the majority of donor scholarship funds on those applicants seeking training without which they would not be able to pursue a particular outdoor activity.

Apply at least 2 weeks before you wish to register for the course. We will not be able to refund the difference if you receive a scholarship after paying for the course in full.

First Come First Served - While we do our best to provide scholarships throughout the year, in the event that we receive an unusually high number of requests, we may need to stop awarding scholarships until the October course season starts for the next year.